Apple invites press to 'talk iPhone' at October 4 media event

Apple on Tuesday sent out invitations to members of the press for an event on its Cupertino, Calif. campus next Tuesday, Oct. 4, with the tagline "Let's talk iPhone."

As was previously rumored, the presentation will be led by Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, who will introduce the company's next-generation iPhone. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific, and AppleInsider will have full live coverage.

The invitation is made up of icons from Apple iOS operating system that powers the iPhone. It includes a Calendar icon with the date of Tuesday, Oct. 4, a Clock displaying the time as 10:00, the Maps icon pinpointed on the company's Cupertino headquarters, and a Phone displaying one missed call. "Let's talk iPhone," it reads.

AppleInsider first reported last week that Apple began blacking out vacation days for employees at some of its retail stores for the second week of October. It is expected that the next iPhone will launch soon after next week's event, potentially on Oct. 14.

Rumors leading up to this year's event have been varied, with some debate as to whether Apple will release a completely redesigned "iPhone 5," an "iPhone 4S" with an appearance similar to the current-generation iPhone 4, or both. Some have suggested the redesigned iPhone 4 could be a new entry-level model geared toward emerging markets that could be sold without a service contract.

The New York Times claimed earlier this month that Apple's next iPhone will sport a "fairly different" appearance. That's supported by a number of third-party cases that have appeared in recent months, showing a handset with curved sides and a flat back, similar to the design of the iPad 2.

But while cases and rumors have pointed toward a redesigned device, leaked parts have shown a handset that looks nearly identical to the iPhone 4 with some minor revisions. Some have speculated those parts to represent the so-called "4S" model, but no components from the rumored redesigned "iPhone 5" have been seen.

Two points that rumors have been consistent on are the camera and processor expected to be found in Apple's next iPhone. Numerous reports have indicated the handset will sport an 8-megapixel camera for higher resolution photos, while the device is widely expected to run the same A5 processor found in the iPad 2.